Java Sojourn - Part I (Borobudur)

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Borobudur, Indonesia (JavaScript in Stone)

Don’t be scared, my friends. Though languages like Javascript, SQL, PERL are my bread and butter, I am not going to serve the same fare to you. I mean, why you should be tortured by statements like these?

While (In Java, Indonesia)
{See Borobudur ; See Prambanan; }
If (Time permits)
{See Ramayana Ballet; }
Else
{Take the flight to Bali; }
End if;
End;

So, rest assured. I will try to tell you about Borobudur in dear old plain English language, hoping that she i.e. the English language, cooperates. The way she floors me, which is often, I suspect that I may not be dear to her. Maybe, it is my fault. I should not have called her ‘old’ and ‘plain’.

Borobudur, on the Indonesian island of Java, is an epic scripted in stone. Follow the link below if you want to know more about Borobudur. It is the largest Buddhist monument in the world, and represents the Buddhist cosmology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur

The link below will also give some idea about the restoration work at Borobudur.
http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/borobudur/blevel_1/btimeline.html

The following link also gives excellent information:
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/htdocs/bycountry/indonesia/borobudur/

In the Overview, the above link mentions that the origin and meaning of the name Borobudur (or Barabudur ) are unknown. Here I would like to make a humble ‘stab’ at the meaning of this name. “Bara-Buddha-Ur” would actually mean “Big Buddha City” in Indian languages. I dare to make this suggestion only because I am from India, the birthplace of Buddha, and have read that Indian influence was strong over Indonesia when monuments like Borobudur and Prambanan were being built.

The overview also mentions that one scholar compared the shape of the squat Stupa to a badly-risen cake, and this is a result of ‘sinking’ of the building. Wikipedia also says Nieuwenkamp suggested that Borobudur in fact represented the Buddha on a lotus leaf, and that thus had likely been built on a lake.

I personally think it represents not a lotus leaf, but a lotus flower. This theme of “Jewel in a Flower” is so deeply ingrained in Hindu/Buddhist conscious that we come across it even in far-flung places like Mexico. Our gods and godesses, including Buddha are depicted as sitting/standing on a lotus flower. One of Buddha’s name is “Mani-Padma”. I recognized this motif even in Aztec king Moktezuma’s name, which if spelled correctly as “Moukti-Kusuma” would mean “Pearl in Flower”.

Borobudur must have looked like a giant lotus flower floating on a lake, with Buddha sitting on the flower. The lake has vanished now.

We had visited Ajanta and Ellora some 10 years back, which are Hindu/Buddhist shrines in a Hindu country. (No, our India is a ‘secular’ country, though majority of people are Hindus) Then, some 5 years back, we had visited Borobudur and Prambanan, which are Hindu/Buddhist temples in a Muslim country. Two years back, we visited Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, which are again Hindu/Buddhist temples in Cambodia, which is a Buddhist country. All in all, this mélange of countries, religions, and temples is pretty confusing.

Borobudur was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles. (Was he a Buddhist/Hindu?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Stamford_Raffles

The man must have been a whirlwind of activities. He founded Singapore, Zoological Society of London, several birds, some fish, tapir, Raffles Hotels, Giant Flower Rafflesia Arnoldi, raffles, the mother of Lotto, lots of buildings, lots of businesses. In his spare time he tailored some clothes (put ruffles on them?), found some slaves and freed them.

Somebody told me that out of the list above, some were FOUNDED by him and some were FOUND by him, and the two verbs are two separate entities. So the correct sentence should be,

Borobudur was found by Sir Stamford Raffles.



Like Ajanta-Ellora, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm, Borobudur was ‘lost’ in the jungle. Sir Stamford Raffles was instrumental in clearing up the jungle and bringing this fabulous monument to the World’s notice.



At Borobudur, a large group of young (<= 10 years) school children was visiting the monument at the same time that we did. Their teachers were trying to tell them about the history and culture of their country, but the children had other things on their minds. Who is this woman and what is she wearing? What is that on her forehead? (bindi) Where did she come from? The man with her has a CAMERA. !!! Wow!!!

They were shy to begin with, but as soon as my husband took a group photo of us with me as the star attraction, everybody wanted to be in the photo. My husband had to take at least 10 photos with different groups, and their teachers really had to tear them away from us. It was a very enjoyable experience. We like children.

However, I think the History and Culture lessons took a beating at our hands that day, unintentionally.

I am happy to state that the History and Culture and the National Geographic and the Illustrated Classics, that I spent a ton of money on, were not wasted in our home. My daughters DID learn something from it after all.

My elder daughter Bambi was always studious and precocious, and practically lapped up whatever National Geographic dished out. On the other hand, my younger daughter Bunny was a happy-go-lucky, plump child. When she was 5 years old and Bambi was ten, Bunny asked me the inevitable question all children ask their mothers,

“Mom, how did I come here?”

She was too young to be educated in the ways of birds and bees, so I replied,

“I found you in a flower, my dear.” This is just as good an answer as “The Stork brought you, my dear.”



Bunny was satisfied, but Bambi looked up from the issue of National Geographic that she was reading and said, “Only Rafflesia Arnoldi could have held her mom. Look at these photos.” I was flabbergasted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia

I was about to end this blog when I caught a glimpse of Sit Stamford Raffles hiding behind that huge flower, laughing silently and gleefully. (How he can stand the smell?) He was trying to sneak away, but I marched right up to him and caught him. “Hey, Sir Stamford Raffles”, I said politely, “It is a pleasure to meet you AGAIN, but, what are you doing here, in MY blog AGAIN? I think, I mentioned to you that this blog is about Borobudur, right? It wasn’t necessary for you to come in through the back door. I would have written about you some day in future.”

He just grinned, crossed his arms and stood there in his favorite pose and said,

“You can leave the description of Borobudur to wikipedia. They are better at it than you are.”

Cheeky!!

Just you wait Sir Stamford Raffles, just you wait!
A “fair (minded) lady” like me you haven’t met!

On Java Island, there are monuments two,
Borobudur was discovered by you,
And was made as good as new,
I’ll give credit where it is due.

Just you wait, Sir Stamford Raffles, just you wait!

But, C.A. Lons discovered Prambanan,
It was restored by Erp, Groneman and Yzerman,
So, now I have a notion,
They should share in the felicitation.

Just you wait Sir Stamford Raffles, just you wait!

The man was quite happy and smug. He still had managed to hog my blog-space. So, I assumed my most haughty expression and said:

So, now let the wikipedia gloat over,
You and your stinking flower

With this Parthian shot at him, I walked out of my own blog.

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